Since it was established, the Quality Forum has pursued an ambitious, quality-focused objective:
Reshaping health care in Louisiana so that it is truly patient-centered, technologically-advanced and value-driven.
To achieve this, the organization serves as the only neutral convener of stakeholders in the state by collaborating with providers, payers, purchasers and consumers to reinforce and broaden the Quality Forum’s mission and supporting Louisiana’s health care agenda.
The Quality Forum’s initial focus wats on the transition to a patient-centered model of care delivery to improve quality and outcomes while reducing costs. Through the years, studies have demonstrated that the medical home model improves patient and population outcomes because it promotes primary care that is individualized, comprehensive, team-based, coordinated and accessible with an emphasis on quality and safety.
The focus also aligns with the Triple Aim framework, developed by the Institute of Healthcare Improvement and supported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), as the health care industry shifts from a volume-based to a value-based culture.
The focus quickly expanded to include clinical quality improvement measures and collection and analysis of trusted, actionable health care data.
In addition, the Quality Forum recognized the importance of providing Louisiana’s residents with information to improve decision-making at the point of care, when choosing a provider/health plan, when engaging in self-care and with lifestyle choices that may affect their health. Outreach and education to support patient engagement and empowerment was subsequently identified as another priority initiative for the Quality Forum.
With health information technology (IT) identified as a major need in Louisiana, the Quality Forum, with federal grant funding, set out to support the state’s health care providers with adoption and implementation of electronic health records (EHRs) and to develop and implement a statewide health information exchange (HIE).
The Quality Forum adopted the Louisiana Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment (LaPOST) program as an initiative in 2010. LaPOST is an evidence-based model designed to improve end-of-life care for those with serious, advanced illnesses – the program’s focus on quality made it a natural fit for the Quality Forum.
The organization has remained focused on developing and implementing a strong health IT infrastructure with innovative quality standards that are specific to the state and support the mission of LDH. As state and national reforms have occurred, this infrastructure has evolved to meet the changing needs of Louisiana’s health care providers and patients, while supporting the state’s efforts to reduce costs, increase quality and improve outcomes.
Today, the Quality Forum’s major areas of focus yield a comprehensive and integrated approach to improving health care quality, value and outcomes in
